So They Believed

Once more he visited Cana in Galilee, where he had turned water into wine. And there was a certain royal official whose son lay sick at Capernaum. When this man heard that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judea, he went to him and begged him to come and heal his son, who was close to death…

“Unless you people see miraculous signs and wonders,” Jesus told him, “you will never believe.”

The royal official said, “Sir, come down before my child dies.”

Jesus replied, “You may go. Your son will live.”

The man took Jesus at his word and departed. While he was still on the way, his servants met him with the news that his boy was living. When he inquired as to the time when his son got better, they said to him: The fever left him yesterday at the seventh hour.

Then the father realized that this was the exact time at which Jesus had said: Your son will live. So he and all his household believed. (John 4: 46-53)

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And therefore they all believed. But did they? What did they believe? And for how long did they believe? A few days? Maybe a few weeks? A month?

Possibly it was full conversion belief unto salvation, but it doesn’t always happen that way. Some won’t believe even upon witnessing a clear miracle. Or if they do they begin to rationalize the event and diminish its meaning as time passes, until it’s completely wiped from memory.

Some have told me: Unless Jesus himself appears in front of me and proves he’s real, I won’t believe.

I point out to them having that attitude of mind they wouldn’t believe even then. Within a few hours or days they would convince themselves the event never happened.

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To the Jews who had believed him,

Jesus said,

“If you hold to my teaching,

you are really my disciples.” (John 8:31)NIV

However, when it happens to one who believes, it happens over and over and over again. He continues to make himself known on too many occasions to list in a lifetime. The proof saturates our very being becoming a fact of life. Hope and faith in the Savior isn’t blind. Far from it. It has become almost tangible and undeniably sure — I know because I know. This rock-solid “to know” is anchored in the center of my soul, that place we call “the heart.” The location-central of my eternal identity is where my assuredness rests in Christ, and my joy is renewed.

And yet, the human condition being what it is, doubt can still seep to the surface through the cracks from time to time. But again the Savior manifests himself personally and wipes away the doubt once more. Though outwardly I’m wasting away, yet inwardly I’m being renewed day by day.